Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 23.djvu/163

 ndent

had made an arrangement to keep him and his wife Polly and to remain with him. That your petitioner and his wife Polly remained in the service of said Respondent in Howard County aforesaid until the spring of 1844, but does not know positively whether he and his said wife were the property and slaves of the said Respondent or not, but believed at the time that he and his family were the property of Respondent, but now believes from what he has heard respondent say since that they were not the slaves of said Respondent.

That in the spring of 1844, Respondent became very much embarrased in his pecuniary circumstances, and determined to emigrate to Oregon. That Respondent solicited your petitioner and his wife Polly to go with him to Oregon, and represented to your petitioner that Oregon was a free country, that slavery did not exist there, and he did not think it ever would. That Respondent would take your petitioner and his wife Polly to Oregon if your -petitioner and his said wife would on Respondents arrival in Oregon, assist said Respondent to open a farm, and that when your petitioner and wife had assisted said Respondent as aforesaid your petitioner and wife Polly and family should be liberated and discharged absolutely from the service or control of said Respondent. That your petitioner agreed to proposal of Respondent as aforesaid and in pursuance of said agreement came with his wife and said Jenny to Oregon with said Respondent in the year 1844. That your petitioner and family continued in the service of Respondent until the spring of 1849 a period of five years, when your petitioner requested to be discharged from the service of said Respondent. That said Respondent desired your petitioner to go to the Gold mines in California and dig gold for Respondent, with Respondent's son, Mark Ford, who was then in California. And that upon the return of your petitioner, Respondent would comply with his agreement aforesaid as made in the State of Missouri and discharge and liberate your petitioner and family from the service and control of said Respondent, and further that said Respondent would give your petitioner a share of the gold that he might dig in California.

That your petitioner desirous of obtaining his family without difficulty with Respondent, consented to the proposition of Respondent, and in pursuance of the same